Belinda and Alex Leitch are the owners of Seaside Gems on New Zealand’s gorgeous London Quay and the parents of Maxwell, an adorable rescue pooch with a passion for fashion.
The 11-year-old Pug/Japanese Chin serves as the shop’s unofficial mascot and jewelry model!
Thousands of cruise ship tourists visit the town of Picton each year, and Maxwell makes sure they can’t resist stopping by Seaside Gems.
“The amount of people he brings to the shop is amazing,” says jewelry designer, Amelia Pask. “He likes to sunbathe in the window and happily shows off our designs.”
Pask is the one who discovered the pup’s flare for modeling on a particularly quiet day. She began draping him in gems and pearls, finding Maxwell surprisingly amenable to the game of dress-up.
However, the designer tells Stuff News the senior pooch is certainly no push over!
“He’s like a cat really and if he’s had enough he just goes and lays down but when he’s in the mood he’ll let me drape him in chains and even wear clip on earrings.”
During lulls in business, the lucky rescue pup maintains an active social calendar.
“When he’s not modeling he heads outside to the cafe next door to see what he can get,” says Pask. “He also has a girlfriend, a Schnauzer, who goes to work with her owner at Hair on High. He lives a very pampered life.”
If you’d like to see more of Maxwell, follow him on the Seaside Gems Facebook page or swing by the shop during your next New Zealand cruise!
Update: The Pasks announced in October that Maxwell had, sadly, crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He lived a happy, loved life until his passing on October 19, 2019.
https://www.facebook.com/seasidegemsjewelz/photos/a.438936242805808/2731439670222109/?type=3&theater
H/T to Stuff News
